Why is my air handler fan motor tripping the 20

My ac unit runs find for a few hours everyday then I notice when it clicks off it be awhile before it comes back on. So, I go and check the 20amp breaker to the inside air handler blower fan and it be tripped. The ac unit and compressor are not tripping the double pole breacker its on and when i reset the 20amp breaker the blower fan comes back on and runs for awhile again with not problem. Why is my air handler fan motor tripping the 20 amp breaker. Help before my problem gets worst!!!!

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If you mean that your OUTDOOR AIR CONDITIONER FAN MOTOR is blowing AND no air is coming out of the vents within your house, it clearly indicates to me that 1 of 2 things are wrong.

Either (1) your INDOOR AIR HANDLER is NOT running or (2) the INDOOR AIR HANDLER is running but your PLENUM has come apart.

If your INDOOR AIR HANDLER UNIT is NOT running, it could simply be the circuit breaker is OFF/TRIPPED and simply needs to be turned OFF; then turned ON. If that does not FIX your problem, then it is most likely your 5 micro-farad run capacitor for your indoor fan motor needs to be replaced. It will prevent your indoor fan motor from energizing. Worst case scenario would be your INDOOR FAN MOTOR has windings burnt and needs to be replaced. If your indoor air handling unit is equipped with a CONDENSATE VALVE CUT-OFF SWITCH, check to see if your drain pan is filled, thus energizing the switch. If the CONDENSATE VALVE CUT-OFF SWITCH is ENERGIZED, it will prevent the AIR HANDLER FROM energizing. That is the design and the reason for this valve.

there will be an access panel where the motor is located. 1st thing to check is fuse or circuit breaker feeding the air handler. this is on seperate power from compressor unit outside and usually has a fused or breakered disconnect on the side of the unit. if fuses are good or breaker is not tripped then switch fan mode to on. if blower runs in on but not in auto then it is a thermostat problem. if still no go then turn off power, remove access panel and find the squirrel cage fan blade. make sure it turns freely. it is very common for these motors to go bad. it can usually be removed easily and taken to a motor shop. I use Roy's Electric in Richmond, Va. They can test the motor on the bench and replace it if it is faulty.

When you say the 'condenser' stopped running - I'm 'assuming' you are talking about the outside unit, and I'm also 'assuming' that when you say it stopped running you mean 'nothing' runs on the outside unit - fan motor OR compressor. The fan motor will drown out the compressor running noise which is a 'low rumbling' sound - often not heard by the layman because of the noise the fan motor puts out.
Assuming you are talking about the outside unit and 'nothing' is running either fan motor or compressor then you might be 'in luck.' Because the most likely reason for the outside unit to be totally off will be a 'blown fuse' or a 'tripped breaker.' The good news is that in 'hot weather,' especially the kind of hot weather that has been present this summer (especially in the south) - blowing a fuse or tripping a breaker is not necessarily an expensive repair.
Indeed, it's not uncommon for a AC unit to blow a fuse (or trip a breaker) on occasion, although it must be noted that doing so is also is sign on something seriously wrong with your AC, i.e. a fan motor breaking down electrically or even a Compressor, both being expensive items to replace.
But, as I said, it's not uncommon for a fuse to blow once in awhile.
I would check my fuses (and breaker) and see if this is what has happened.
If you have fuses (usually located outside close to the condenser) and have no way to check them (you check them with a ohm meter looking for continuity) - then just 'replace' them with new ones. Note: always put 'time delay/dual element' fuses back in - even if the ones that are in there now are 'one time' fuses. 'Time delay' fuses do just what they say they will do - (they hold for just a second or two during that initial start up (of the compressor) without blowing).
If a blown fuse/tripped breaker is your problem then "most" of the time the AC will run ok and you will not have any more problems.
However, if after replacing the fuses and turning the AC back on - the fuse(s) blows instantly, or a short period thereafter (say a few minutes or an hour) then you probably have a problem that is causing it - i.e. the fan motor or compressor is going bad.
Note: one thing that you can fix that might be causing the fuse to blow is a dirty condenser. So, check the condenser coil (think of it like a car's radiator). It 'must' be clean to run properly and when it gets 'really dirty and clogged with dirt it will cause high head pressure and can cause the unit to blow fuses and trip breakers.
Good Luck!

Hi, here is the theory on the reset button on Air Conditioners. They reset via the breaker panel box in your house. Check that first before anything else. However if your unit is popping breakers, it is because the rating for the breaker is incorrect, or there is something that needs servicing usually in the outside unit called the condenser. That piece contains the compressor. A faulty compressor and pop the breaker. Or If the condenser fan that blows over the coils of the outside unit stops (common failure) The compressor will overheat and shut down. That may not trip the breaker but the house will get hot anyway. Usual action for this is to replace the condenser fan motor and starting capacitor. Make sure the speed rating and directional rotation for the replacement motor is the same as the motor removed. There are other reasons why the system won't come one fully. If the wall thermostat is digital and does nothing. including turning on the fan. There will be a small fuse located on the circuit board of the air handler (part of Air Conditioner mounted inside the house. It houses the circulation fan). That fuse could be blown. That one shuts down just about everything. On air handlers mounted up into the attic crawl space there is an overflow pan. This pan is mounted directly below the air handler. This pan can fill with water when the drain pain contained inside the air handler starts to overflow because the drain system to that is clogged. There is a "float switch" mounted in the overflow pan wired to the system in such as way as to shut down the entire AC system if that pan fills. The handling is to clear the obstruction in the Drip Pan inside the air handler. Then remove enough water from the overflow pan and the AC will run as though nothing has happened. If you have more questions, write to me on this site.One thing more. The capacitor alone in the Outside condenser unit can fail and that will stop the condenser completely if it is of a "split" design and used for both the compressor and fan. When replacing this unit alone, ALWAYS find the same specification part.I hope this helps,Have a Happy New Year,Mark

Try a new fan motor. It runs about $125.00, It will run a few min. then will trip the motor themal switch. you can probably still here the compressor running. It may also trip the breaker on shore power . good luck! the part you are looking for is a 1/3 hp 115vac 2 speed 1580/1020 rpm
part number #1468-3069

Absolutely, however, you want to properly diagnose the reason why the fan is not running. It could be a less expensive part than the fan motor itself.
First, check to see if you have the proper voltage going to the motor. I believe your motor requires 240volts ac. If you do not have 240 volts, you have a control problem.......either the thermostat is failing to close R & G or your blower relay may have failed to close the contacts necessary for your fan to operate.
If you have the voltage, then you want try spinning the blower wheel with your hand. Does it spin freely? Is the motor warm/hot? If so, turn everything off for an hour or so. As soon as your energize it, try spinning the motor with your hand again.....if it spins freely with no resistance and then starts running by itself, the problem is the run capacitor (approx $20.00 depending on where you purchase it from). If there is resistance when you try to spin it, the problem is most likely with the bearings and you will need to replace the motor.......if you have to replace the motor, go ahead and replace the capacitor also, making sure it is properly "matched" with your new motor.

Check outside unit if unit and compressor are running feel the large line to see if it is cold. If compressor is running and line is not cold possible charge problems. You may have a capacitor problem outside. they go out quite often. You can change this yourself, Open up outside unit and the cap is the silver bullet with terminals out the top. Bad cap can cause compressor to not operate and also the fan. You need to clean the coil inside or at leat check the coil to see if it is clean. You can clean theis with a toilet brush do not go against the coil bit brush with the fins. You may need to call a service tech but try these options first. russ